Daniels' possible first stamp on Purdue: What others say

Jun. 27, 2012

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The question was: What do you think Mitch Daniels’ “daylight saving time moment” — one where he first puts his stamp on Purdue University — will be when he takes over as president in January? Here are some of the responses:

• Paul Schwab, professor of soil physical chemistry and director of Natural Resources and Environmental Science: “It’s hard to predict if Gov. Daniels has any surprises in store as Purdue’s next president, but we likely will see some initiatives on his part that are consistent with his tendencies as governor. I always considered the daylight saving kerfuffle to be a bit of a diversion from weightier matters. Will there be such a moment in Purdue’s future? Perhaps. We are in lean economic times that will not be changing soon. President Daniels will continue the work of Gov. Daniels in that regard.”

• John Dennis, West Lafayette mayor: “To be honest, my crystal ball isn’t working too well on this one, so I guess I’ll go with what we know. So, what we do know: Mitch is a proven leader. ... From what I’ve experienced with Mitch is that he believes in ideas. If he has an idea and hears a better one, he will go with the better idea. The subtlety behind that is he listens, gets input and does what he and his staff believe to be best. His pattern of leadership is to take input from all areas of his authority, from staff, from local leaders, from state leaders and, with his new position, from faculty and students. What we have is a listener who will gather input from all areas of his administration and do what is best for Purdue, for its students and faculty, and for our community.”

• David Williams, professor of medical illustration and vice chairman of Purdue University Senate: “Entrepreneurship is the big buzzword on campus, and I have used it myself in expressing why I think Mitch Daniels could very well be the right man, at the right place, at the right time. ... I’m certain he will have already studied the terrain before he arrives in January and will have recommendations for cost cutting measures. And he will champion new routes for revenue. But his tenure as Purdue’s 12th president will rest largely on his relationship with faculty and students and continuing to improve the educational process at Purdue.”

• Matt Swiontek, 2012 Purdue graduate: “Simply speculating from his past, I think he will be able to announce a plan that freezes or possibly even reduces tuition (which has risen nearly $6,000 over the past 10 years). If he does this it will bring about controversial cuts and will be something that our peers have not done. So I think there would be a lot of similarities to what Gov. Daniels has done for Indiana and what he will do for Purdue.”

• Howard Zelaznik, associate dean in the College of Health and Human Sciences: “I am not sure what he will do, but I will suggest what he should do. Given his lack of experience in the academic world, he should do two things. First, teach a 200 level course in microeconomics or in political theory. Second, write a journal article submitted for peer review. He will then start to appreciate the challenges students and faculty face. It is easy to criticize higher education. It is hard to do it.”